Hot weather can affect your tires, too

With the hot temperatures that we are experiencing across Central Oregon, many everyday conveniences could cause problems, one of those being the tires on your car.​

One tire expert said Monday that with every 10-degree increase in the heat, your tire pressure will increase by 1 pound per square inch.

That puts some unneeded extra pressure on your tires.

I spoke with the assistant manager, Darrick Umhauer, over a Bend Discount Tire about the impact heat can have on tires.

He said it’s important to be careful about overinflating your car’s tires in the summer because of the changes in temperatures we see from during the day, when temperatures are high, to cool overnight lows.

And if the tire is worn down or brittle, it could cause big problems.

“If you’re running the max inflation pressure on your car starting out, odds are you are overinflated in your tires,” Umhauer said, “And that can create unwanted heat and unwanted wear, so that’s a pretty big issue too.”

It’s very important that you are aware of how old your tires are as well.

Tire experts recommend replacing your tires when they are 6 years old, as that is typically the end of their lifespan.

They say if they are 10 years old, then they should definitely be replaced.

David Rose, who is the shop manager at OnSite Tire shop in Bend, said there are other things you should look out for that could cause problems if your tires are exposed to high heat.

“You want to make sure that they are not too old, you want to look for cracks in them, especially between the sidewall and the tread where those meet because that is a really good spot where that can happen,” Rose said. “You want to watch your tread to make sure that there are no lumps in it, because if there are lumps in your tread, you probably have broken belts.”

One tire expert said when the weather is this hot, for tires that are worn down, it’s like driving in the rain, because the rubber can’t handle the high heat and makes it harder to stop.

They added that many people still are driving in Central Oregon with their winter tires on, and that can be extremely dangerous, because the rubber used for those tires is not made to stand up to high heat.

The experts say making sure your tires are equipped to stand up to the hot conditions is something that is simple to check and could end up saving your life.